Semil Shah is a venture advisor at Bullpen Capital and GGV Capital as well as an investor through a small fund called Haystack. He was previously involved in mobile product development, marketing, and distribution at Swell while working as a formal paid consultant to a variety of venture capital firms, focused on deal evaluation, due diligence, marketing, and special operations.

Shah is also a public speaker, an official contributor to TechCrunch, and TV show host for “In The Studio.” He also writes for Haywire and produces interviews to be aired on iTunes. Before moving to the Valley in 2010, Shah helped start a life sciences company (MegaCell Therapeutics) in Boston, wrote for Harvard Business Review, and worked for Harvard University and a non-profit organization. He was also employed as a cook at Bi-Rite Market and professional bartender in New York City.